Mom and Dad
by astridhong17
Summary: It was meant to just be a prank for Brigadier General Mustang, but it became way beyond what Ed and Al could ever dream of. (Parental!RoyEd/Parental!RoyAl & Parental!RizaEd/Parental!RizAl)
1. Overlapping Circles

**A/n: So, here I am again…after a couple of years. *dodges projectiles***

 **I read and reread the chapters countless of times and decided to do a rewrite so I can finally be able to continue where I left off.**

 **So, if the website notifies you of an update to Mom and Dad and you get disappointed because I only posted rewrites, please don't be too mad and please still read the rewrites because I may have changed a thing or two from the original post. Thank you for your understanding.**

* * *

 **Mom and Dad: Prologue: Overlapping Circles**

* * *

The lights in the office were turned off and the room was bathed in darkness. Two figures moved about, sliding the furniture around and creating a vacant space right in the middle of the room. The expensive Ishvalan carpet, gifted by some locals in the Kadesh district, was rolled up and placed on Feury's desk alongside radio equipment and various antenna.

"Al, hurry!" Ed hissed as he glanced at the door nervously. "I have a feeling that they'll be back soobwr than we expected!"

Alphonse swiped a hand across his sweaty forehead, smearing it with chalk residue. "Shh, Brother. I'm concentrating!"

The older Elric brother was almost bounding on his feet with excitement as he leaned over Al's work. This was one of their most elaborate pranks -and, if executed perfectly, would be the most epic one…ever.

And the fact that Roy Mustang is the victim just tickled Edward pink.

The two brothers -well mostly Edward, really- planned this when they received word that the Colonel Bastard got promoted to Lieutenant General Bastard and that he would soon be leaving for Ishval along with his team to oversee the rehabilitation efforts in the desert country.

Edward and Alphonse, themselves, planned to go on separate journeys: Edward to the West and Alphonse to the East to learn Alkahestry from Mei Chang. They wanted to travel the world and gain knowledge that can't be learnt by just sitting in a library and reading books.

Knowing that it would probably be years before they see their former superiors once again, they thought out a wonderful parting gift. One that they won't ever forget.

Ed's head snapped up when footsteps could be heard from the hallway outside. "Al! They're here!"

Startled, Al pressed a little too firmly on a spot near one of the many triangles in the array and his chalk broke in half. "Brother! Draw another circle to balance the reaction so we don't get caught in it." He gave Ed the other broken half of the chalk. "We don't have time to get out now."

Ed reluctantly accepted the chalk. It had been years since he last drew alchemic circles. He was about ten or eleven years old when he didn't have a need for circles anymore. To say he's rusty would be a gross understatement.

But he could already hear voices from outside.

'Fuck it,' he thought and promptly got to work.

* * *

"Your grandfather is such a cunning man, Captain," the raven-haired man remarked, removing his standard military hat.

Meetings with the Fuhrer, formal or not, required any and all officers to present themselves in full military uniform. Bradley didn't mind as long as they were in uniform but Grumman is another story. He required his visitors to step on the rug by the door, stomp on it for a couple of times to get rid of the dust before walking ten steps toward his desk to salute to him. _Only then_ will he acknowledge you.

"Sir?" the blond Captain turned to him, confused. After the meeting, the Fuhrer requested to speak to Mustang alone and Riza had absolutely no idea what her superior was talking about.

He swept a hand through his hair to mess it up before elaborating, "He is thinking of changing some laws and wanted my opinion on them."

She silently hoped it was not the dress code. "Are they, at least, good changes, sir?" She knew her grandfather and wouldn't put it past him to make some childish decisions.

They stepped in front of the door to their office and Roy reached for the handle. "Well, he wants to abolish the-"

His sentence was cut off when he turned the handle and a blinding light flooded their vision. There was no mistaking that it was from the activation of an alchemic array. He turned to Riza but the light was so intense he could only see the blue-white light.

Questions rang in his mind. Why was there an alchemic array in the office? Is it an assassination attempt? Even though it's late in the afternoon and most of the staff had gone home for the day, the Central Command still isn't a place that's easy to break into. So, it had to be someone who had access to the building.

Most importantly, who were the two figures he saw before his world turned black?

* * *

 **A/n: Yeah, not much difference with the first post. But I wanted to achieve that continuity that I've been wanting with all my other stories. I'm already typing up the next chapter, so the wait won'tbe too long.**


	2. Pa

**THIS CHAPTER WAS EDITED ON DECEMBER 23RD 2017.**

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* * *

 **Chapter 2: Pa**

* * *

Roy knew where he was before he even opened his eyes. The constant beeping of a machine somewhere in the room that smelled unmistakably of antiseptic... He knew he was in a hospital. Why though? The last thing he remembered was him and Hawkeye walking from Grumman's office to his own. Then there had been a very bright light when he opened the door to his office. Was it a bomb? Did someone somehow manage to sneak in to Central Headquarters undetected and planted a bomb?

With great effort he opened his eyes, squinting at the harsh fluorescent that greeted his view. Onyx eyes surveyed the room, finding a small bedside table to his left with a vase of flowers on it. The sun shone through the small window to his right, its position telling him it was either late in the afternoon or early in the morning. But what was most noticeable was that he was alone in the room and it didn't help settle the anxious feeling in his stomach.

Where was Riza?

She had been standing behind him when the bomb –or whatever it was- exploded. He was able to grab her arms to shove her away but they were both caught in the bright explosion. If there had been a direct threat to his life, surely she'd be by his side now. How could she protect him if she wasn't there?

Unless...

The Brigadier General gingerly sat up, groaning in pain when he felt the stitches in his abdomen pull at his effort. He had to get up and find out what the hell happened. He was sure his men were stationed just outside.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and grabbed hold of the IV pole, the starchy light blue hospital gown scratching his skin in an irritating way at each movement. His shaky legs seemed able to hold his weight and he slowly started his unsteady walk toward the door. He was able to walk halfway towards the door when the shaking of his legs got worse and he stumbled over his own feet, sending him sprawling on the floor.

The door opened and a nurse rushed in. "Oh no, Mr Mustang! You shouldn't get out of bed just yet!" She helped him stand up and get back to bed.

"Where's Hawkeye?" he rasped, he felt like he had just run a marathon. Was he really _that_ out of shape? He mentally noted to schedule a few sessions at the gym near Madame Christmas' bar this week.

The nurse smiled kindly at him before checking to make sure he didn't dislodge is IV. "She's next door, Mr. Mustang. But I'll have it arranged so you could share a room with your wife." She picked the chart that she had dropped earlier when she rushed to him. "She had been asking for you as soon as she woke up from her surgery. Also, the kids are being treated in Pediatrics as we speak. Just small scratches and some bruises, so you need not worry much."

The next time he awoke it was already sunset, the sun casting the room with an orange glow. He noticed the bedside table was gone and his bed had been pushed to the window to make room for another one.

"I'm glad you're fine, sir," a soft voice sounded from the bed beside him.

He paused in his observations and turned to her. She sat with her back propped by many pillows against the headboard. Her blond hair curled around her face, free from its usual unforgiving bun. She closed the book that she had been reading when he made a move to get out of his bed.

"I think you should not be moving too much, sir. You'll reopen your wounds," she scolded. "The nurse told me you actually tried to walk on your own earlier and she asked me to keep a close eye on you since you're the 'adventurous' type of patient."

"What..." he began in a hoarse voice. "What is going on?"

Hawkeye pursed her lips and a dent appeared on her forehead as she thought deeply. "The nurses told me that we were on our way to a picnic when our car was hit by a drunk driver. I don't know how a person could get drunk at eight in the morning," she mused before continuing. "You were the one driving and you tried to swerve from the highway but we hit another car instead." She gestured towards his head. "You had a concussion and a sharp metal sliced open your abdomen that's why you should take it easy for now."

"The nurses told you that?" he asked in disbelief. "Are you sure they're not talking about some other guy? We were _not_ on our way to a picnic when we got attacked. We don't even _do_ picnics! Coup d'état maybe, but not picnics!"

Something wasn't right. It was already night time when the meeting with Grumman finished, but the accident happened at eight in the morning. And why would he and Hawkeye even go to a picnic? Surely, he'd remember if it ever happened, right?

"I don't know, sir. A lot of things aren't adding up. I just saw a very bright light when you opened the door to your office and the next thing I know is I'm lying in a hospital bed and this," she slightly hesitated before lifting the blanket covering her legs which were both in casts.

Roy stared, horrified, at Hawkeye's legs. The cast went up to just below her knees so she'd still have a bit of movement. "And," he swallowed thickly. "What did they say happened to you?"

Riza shifted and she hissed as the starchy clothes scratched the raw skin on her forearms."According to them, I got trapped in my seat when the dashboard caved in on my legs. Luckily, Havoc and the guys were convoying us and immediately called for emergency services."

"So the men are somewhere in the vicinity as well," he mused, the cogs in his brain turning as he processed each information he had of the situation. "But I could have sworn I saw the Elric brothers in the office before I lost consciousness. And that bright light is unmistakably caused by some alchemic reaction."

The blonde captain nodded, confirming that Edward and Alphonse were indeed in the office at that time. "And the Elric brothers plus alchemy..."

"...equals trouble," he finished for her. Then he remembered something that the nurse from before had mentioned. "And one more thing, Captain. I don't know if the medical personnel just had our information wrong but I think she called you my wife when I asked her where you were earlier."

Again, Riza shifted in discomfort. Clearly, she knew something about that too. "Ah, about that, sir..." she raised her hand toward him and showed him her patient's wristband.

 _Name: Riza Mustang_

 _Emergency Contact: Roy Mustang_

 _Relation to the patient: Spouse_

* * *

 **Hello hello! So here's the edited version of Chapter 2. I made some changes in the dialogues but the content is still pretty much the same.**


	3. Moeder

**EDITED: JANUARY 30, 2018**

 **.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Moeder**

* * *

Riza looked up from the book she was reading when the door opened, her tired eyes registering the presence of a man wearing a doctor's coat. On the other side of the room by the window, she could see her commanding officer turn towards the newcomer.

The doctor looked fairly pleased when he saw that they were both awake and stepped further into the room without being invited in. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Mustang," he chimed, his glasses glistening and partially hiding his bright blue eyes.

It was Roy who responded to the man's greeting, "Good morning," he started but then faltered when he realized he didn't recognize the man. "Doctor?"

"Ah, I'm sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Anthony Geller, your attending physician." A sheepish grin appeared on his face and Riza thought he looked remarkably young to be a doctor already.

They finished the introductions quickly and the doctor proceeded to do what he came to do. He briefed Roy and Riza on the status of their injuries and determined that they may be discharged from the hospital sooner than expected.

"Everything is healing nice and well," Doctor Geller remarked as he finished prodding on Roy's abused ribs and changing Roy's bandages. "Just don't forget to change the bandages regularly and to contact me when you feel any sort of discomfort or pain around that bump on your head, Mr. Mustang." He straightened up and gathered his medical supplies and transferred them to the table next to Riza's bed as it was her turn to be examined.

She moved the sheets aside so the doctor will be able to check on her broken legs. In the corner of her eyes she could see Roy gingerly step towards her and when he reached the foot of her bed, he let out an exhausted sigh and plopped down.

"So, how are you feeling, Mrs. Mustang?" he queried as he grabbed the clipboard attached to her bed. "Your injuries are significantly worse than your husband's, so your legs may need a couple of months before they are back to being a hundred percent." He thumbed through the information written by the other doctors who attended to them. "I'm going to prescribe you some painkillers just in- oh…"

"What?" Roy gave the poor doctor a sharp stare. "What is it?"

Doctor Geller looked up from the clipboard with a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his neck. "I guess I'll have to consult with Mrs. Mustang's OBGYN before prescribing her with any medications."

She and Roy looked at each other then, confusion marring their features. Did the accident cause any damage to her female bits and that's why Doctor Geller wants to bring her OBGYN to the case?

"Erm…" she cleared her throat awkwardly. "May I ask what for?"

The doctor's eyes widened in realization – of what, Riza and Roy aren't sure. "Oh, so this is news to you as well, I assume!" He proceeded to write a couple of notes on the clipboard before replacing it at the foot of Riza's bed. "I believe congratulations are in order. You are five weeks pregnant, Mrs. Mustang!"

Riza blinked for a few times, looking up at the smiling young doctor. Then she shifted her gaze to her superior officer to find him looking as shell-shocked as she felt.

Pregnant.

In her twenty-nine years of existence, she had already abandoned the thought of having her own family and dedicated her time and effort to the military instead. Her teenage shelf would have entertained the idea of being a mother and wife but Ishval changed her perspectives and beliefs.

Why would she deserve to bring a child to the world when she helped destroy more than a thousand children's lives during the war? Did this world not know that she once gunned down an innocent child all because he was Ishvalan and she Amestrian? Was this world's definition of ' _mother material_ ' twisted?

And she couldn't possibly have a child with Roy! If, in this world, she and Roy were married, then she's certain that he's the father to this baby. If the higher-ups get wind of this, surely Roy's chances of climbing up the brass will be ruined.

Thoughts of court martial, dishonorable discharge and public humiliation swirled around in her mind. Years of hard work would have been for nothing, just because this weird, twisted world wanted to play around with them.

"Erm…" Doctor Geller coughed when the both of them didn't respond. "As I said earlier, seeing as everything is fine, I'm giving you the clear as soon as your insurance paperwork is finished. You can visit the kids in the pediatric ward after this. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see their parents after the accident."

The doctor seemed to have just noticed the thick tension in the room and high-balled it out quickly. The door slammed shut and the two military officers were, once again, left alone.

Roy was the first one to break the silence. "I must say, this prank has become even more elaborate," he pointed out, his eyes never leaving her slouched form. "These versions of ourselves have clearly been busy. Apparently, we have at least one child that was with us when the ' _accident_ ' happened. And _now,_ " his gaze pointedly directed towards her flat stomach. "Now, we have one more on the way."

Her hands instinctively clasped over her stomach protectively, as if to hide from his intense stare. "There is absolutely no way for this to be real, General. We… We've never…" she struggled with the words and the implications of those words.

Mustang just hmm-ed and slowly rose from his seat on her bed. "Why don't we just play along for a while and see what more this prank has in store for us?" he gestured towards the wheelchair that one of the nurses left for Riza earlier. "How about we see those other children of ours?"

She shifted to the edge of the bed and slowly lowered her legs.

Play along?

This prank felt real enough, if the pain in both her legs suggested. Who could be behind all this intricate plotting? Breda? Possible, but he wouldn't dare hurt her or Roy and risk being torched while dodging several deadly bullets. And the same goes for Havoc, Feury and Falman?

Then she remembered just before she lost consciousness the other day, when Roy opened the door to his office after they returned from the meeting with Fuhrer Grumman, she saw the unmistakable red of Edward's infamous coat.

If there's anyone who would dare piss Roy Mustang off, then it was Edward Elric.

* * *

Riza felt mortified as Roy pushed her wheelchair towards the pediatric ward. Never in her whole life did she think she'd see the day completely relying on her commanding officer to move from one place to another. She prided herself in her independence and always being the one who helped others, not the other way around.

But, with both her legs broken and her body still recovering from the supposed accident, she didn't have much choice but to accept assistance however uncomfortable that made her feel.

"Riza." She heard him call her as they turned around a corner and entered the pediatric ward. The harsh white paint on the walls gave way to pastel pink and unicorns and teddy bears.

Because they had decided to play along, they opted to call each other by their first names. What kind of married couple would they be if they called each other 'General' and 'Captain'?

"Yes?"

"You seem awfully quiet. Is everything alright?" She felt him lean down and she could smell the musk of his aftershave. "Are you hurting somewhere?"

"No," she answered, peering up at him. When he frowned, she insisted. "Seriously, Roy, I'm fine."

The last time she called him by his first name was when they were teenagers, just before he went back to the military after they buried her father. That was back when harmless crushes didn't get in the way of them completing their goal. That was when there were no fraternization laws that stopped longing stares and fleeting touches.

It made her feel giddy and tingly then. Now, it left her thinking of what could have been if she just embraced the life of a countryside housewife.

They stopped in front of Room 611. "The nurse said the kids would be in here," Roy told her, his hands hesitating to push open the door. "I swear if I find out who's pranking us, I'll torch them!"

It had crossed his mind that it could be Havoc and the boys who was behind all this. This prank was a bit elaborate but that was what they had Falman for. It was highly probable seeing as this happened just as they were entering their office in Central, which he and Riza shared with Havoc, Falman, Breda and Feury. And they had access to the military headquarters which made it all easy for them. And he had heard them betting on Roy and Riza being in a relationship just a week before.

So how can he not suspect those idiots?

"Sir, err, Roy, I don't think this is a prank."

"What? Why do you-" He didn't get to finish his sentence and his mouth formed a large 'O'.

Riza's hand fell from the door knob onto her lap. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sight in front of her and Roy doing the same behind her.

Big, round gold eyes stared at her for two whole minutes before they slowly welled up in tears. Two small fists covered them before Edward bawled. The two adults remained frozen at the doorway, unsure of if what they were witnessing was reality or not.

Recovering from the initial shock, Riza wheeled herself into Edward's bedside. She patiently waited for him to calm down before she probed. This turn of events was certainly unexpected. This surely wasn't Havoc's – or the men's – doing since nobody in this world should be able to turn a fifteen-year-old boy back into a child.

It just doesn't happen.

"Edward?" Hawkeye began tentatively, peering into his face.

The boy in question tensed. "Yeah?" His voice was muffled by the pillow he had grabbed earlier.

She smiled encouragingly when he peeked out. "Can you please explain to us what is going on?"

Edward let go of the pillow, finally showing his face. His lower lip quivered as he hesitated to answer the Captain's query. "I have a booboo here…here…here…and here." He showed her the different areas in his body which had cuts and bruises of varying sizes.

Edward _had_ definitely been turned into a toddler!

Riza reached over and brushed his shoulder-length hair away from his tear-streaked face. Her expression softened when the boy leaned in to her touch. "And can you tell me how old you are?"

Enthused by the challenging question, the young Edward perked up and started counting with his fingers. "One…two…three…fo-FOUR!" He grinned triumphantly and held up four fingers.

The captain looked at Roy but he was busy inspecting the other occupant of the room. She turned back to Edward who was playing with her hand. "Edward?" she began, deciding to address the situation. "Do you remember why we're here?"

She figured them getting transported into this world had something to do with alchemy and the Elric brothers. The unmistakable blue spark of an alchemic array being activated was the last thing she saw after all.

"Papa's car went _fly fly_ and I saw the window go _crack_ beside Al and then I bumped my head and then I fell asleep," the child explained and added sound effects and wide gestures. "I'm sorry, Mama. Please don't be mad."

Riza froze. Did Edward just call her 'Mama'?

She forced a gentle smile on her face despite the subtle nausea that swept over her. "Why would I be mad at you?"

Tears welled up again in Edward's eyes and his lip wobbled. "Because I fell asleep! Al also has booboos because I didn't protect him because I fell asleep!"

She was about to console the child when she heard the General walk over to them before he said, "Stop crying, shrimp. You'll wake your brother up."

Instead of his usual explosive reaction to being referred to as 'shrimp', the boy cowered and inched as close to Riza as possible. "Mama, is Papa angry with me too?"

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, lovies! So, I am on an editing spree. You can expect both minor and major changes in the chapters that I posted already before to fix plotholes. I suggest that you read Mom and Dad from the beginning.**

 **Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks!**

 **xx**

 **Astrid**


	4. Baba

**EDITED: FEBRUARY 9, 2018**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Baba**

* * *

"…the bad man chased me from my office. So I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. It was a good thing your daddy and I were training for the Central marathon during that time, or else I would have run out of energy and they would have captured me."

Roy's consciousness was just returning from a fitful sleep and he could hear a strangely familiar voice in the room. He could remember the previous day's events and still mentally cringed at the image of chibi versions of the Elric brothers looking expectantly at him with wide doe-like eyes after Edward requested that they be carried to Riza's bed.

The three of them now shared the biggest recovery room in the hospital. Riza's and Roy's beds were pushed side by side and they were flanked by the kids to form one big bed. Edward to Riza's left and Alphonse to Roy's right. Edward had stayed glued to the Captain's side ever since they first saw them and he figured that the boy got scared of him.

"...Then I ran towards a phone booth so I could call your daddy for help. I waited for the line to connect but then the signal got cut. And I could hear the footsteps of the bad man closing in," the voice continued, changing his tone as if he was telling a horror story.

Roy decided to keep his eyes closed and maybe go back to sleep. He already figured out that it was Maes Hughes' voice he was hearing. His dead bestfriend would sometimes visit him even when he's awake and with only his guilt and a bottle of whisky to accompany him. He didn't care what Makes talked about or who he blabbered to. He just wanted to hear his voice again.

Maes' voice paused at the cliffhanger and he heard a small voice gasp. And something happened that never happened during Maes' 'visits'.

"Oh no! What happened next?"

...somebody else talked.

Roy knew what exactly happened. Maes found out about the Homunculi and Envy was sent to keep him quiet. Two shots was all it took and the then Lieutenant Colonel lay on the floor of the phonebooth in a pool of his own blood.

But if Roy had been there, he would have burnt off the motherfucking Homunculi's lives until he turned into ashes.

Maes' voice chuckled as if it were normal that another voice joined in. "Well, your parents came and kicked the bad man's butt."

"For real, Uncle Maes?" It was Edward, he now realized. "What did Mama and Papa do?"

"Your mommy used her gun and shot the bad man's leg but I know if we didn't need information from him, she would have shot him in the-"

A new voice cut in. "No need to be graphic, Maes."

And now Hawkeye joins in!

In his surprise, Roy shifted to the right, away from the voices. The movement pulled on his stitches and he groaned aloud in pain. The conversation around him died instantly and he could feel three pairs of eyes on him and he slowly opened his own.

"How was your beauty sleep, Roy-boy?" Maes queried with a smirk on his face.

Roy snapped his head towards Maes' direction at the foot of Edward's bed and spent a good minute just staring at his bestfriend, a thousand thoughts running in his brilliant mind.

How could Hughes be sitting there, talking to his wife and son, when Roy himself saw his bloodied lifeless body lying in that damned phonebooth?

How could Hughes be staring back at him when he's already buried six feet deep?

How could Hughes still be alive when his ghost already haunted him in his every waking moment?

He didn't realize his body was shaking until he felt Riza's hand on his arm, and he pulled his gaze away from the other man's to look at her worried auburn orbs. "Are you alright...dear?" she asked, but he knew that she already had a complete understand of what's happening inside his head. Her grip was firm and it grounded him to reality.

This _reality_ , at least, where he and Riza were married and free to love each other; where the young Edward and Alphonse became their sons, and; where Maes Hughes was alive and well, apparently.

He drew in a ragged breath to calm his nerves and he gave her a shaky smile. He felt her grip on his arm loosen before she drew her hand back to lightly tap on Alphonse's back as the child, he now noticed, slept in her arms with his head on the crook of Riza's neck.

He closed his eyes briefly before returning his attention to the other man in the room. "Stop talking like my aunt, Hughes."

The bespectacled man laughed. "Maybe I've been spending so much time in Chris' bar lately because a certain nephew of hers decided to get involved in politics and actually run for President."

Roy, once again, shared a look with Riza and absorbed this new piece of information. So, in this world, he was running for President...which means the government in this country is a democracy unlike the Amestris that they knew before.

With their lack of response, Maes continued being the talkative person that he was. "So, I've been telling Ed here the story of how we kicked butt during Operation: Envy." He mussed up Ed's hair, ignoring the kid's shouted protest.

With the adults' attention back on him, Edward's face lit up. "And Mama's so cool!" The blonde boy tried to get his hair back down but the strands just wanted to defy gravity that morning. He's just going to ask Mama to fix it later for him.

"Hey, Papa can be cool too!" Roy retorted playfully with a pout.

Edward pushed his bangs away from his face and blushed guiltily. "O-Of course, Papa."

Roy could see Riza reach out her hand towards him again, and felt her nudge him gently and discreetly. He could really get used to her initiating their physical contact.

"Edward, honey, go to Papa and let him fix your hair if it's bothering you," Riza gently told Edward. Her maternal instincts automatically took over with anything that concerned their 'sons' and, after some thought, he realized that she had always been some sort of a mother figure to these boys - and even to Winry – even before they were thrown into this world.

The young boy turned to his 'mother', his surprise evident in his facial expression. "B-But..." He glanced towards the older Mustang with a hopeful look that he was miserably failing to hide. "Is it okay, Papa?"

Roy pushed a snarky remark from escaping his lips, noticing how genuinely wary of him the child was. What could he have done to scare the kid so much? "Hey, it's no biggie, kid. C'mere. Papa is no hairdresser but I shall fix that bird's nest on your head."

Edward did not need to be told twice. He slowly crawled over from his bed to Roy's, stopping briefly by Riza's to peer on Alphonse's sleeping face and to kiss his Mama's cheek. He settled in front of his Papa's folded legs with his back towards the older man.

The adults talked about trivial things while Roy combed and braided Edward's hair. Growing up surrounded by many girls in Madam Christmas' bar, Roy ought to have gained certain skills in styling and make up but he wasn't about to admit that anytime soon.

They were on the topic of Elysia's ballet recital when Ed's head lolled to the side and a light snore escaped his slightly open mouth. Roy glanced at Riza and saw the soft smile form on her lips. Both Edward and Alphonse weren't able to sleep much the previous night since they woke up to the slightest sounds, fearing what children that age usually are scared of. And, in extension, both he and Hawkeye have only had a few hours of sleep between them.

Roy gently guided the child to sleep on his lap, earning a nod of approval from his subordinate. She, in turn, shifted slightly so that she could lay Alphonse on the space between them. He watched as she rolled her shoulders to ease the stiffness there and he wondered exactly how long she was carrying Al for.

"I must have tired him out," Maes commented, gesturing towards the older child and Roy's brow quirked in confusion. "I took him to the playground earlier since you two shouldn't be moving too much just yet," he explained.

Just how long has Maes been there?

He looked at Riza, engaged in a light-hearted conversation with the other man.

And why was Riza not at all affected that someone who's supposed to be dead was talking to her?

...

 **Sooo…not much difference, but a did add a few sentence. No major changes here though.** **J**


	5. Nene

**Edited: February 18, 2018**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: N** **ënë**

* * *

The room became significantly quieter when Maes left, but not without the promise of returning later in the afternoon with his wife Gracia and daughter Elysia. That man was a chatterbox and not at all that different from the Maes Hughes that they both knew.

Riza glanced to her right towards the direction of her 'husband'. Roy had been silent ever since the door closed behind Maes and she could only imagine what he was going through at the moment. He acted undeterred by the sudden appearance of his dead bestfriend, but she knew him well enough to see the subtle trembling of his hands and the forced smile on his face.

Alphonse squirmed restlessly in his sleep and the sharpshooter's hand went to tap lightly on the child's buttocks, instantly calming him down. She had seen Gracia do that to Elysia during the times she visited the older woman and the child was fidgety.

When she was sure that the small child had gone back into a deep sleep, she turned her attention back to her commanding officer. "Sir, are you-"

"What..." he interrupted, his eyes wide and wild, as if what happened earlier had only sunk in just now. "What was that?" He stared into nothing and she could see him gettling lost in his own world.

"I...don't know, sir," she admitted defeatedly, hating the feeling of cluelessness and uselessness. She wanted to give him answers to his many questions, but hose were the same questions she also wanted to be answered herself.

"What exactly is happening, Captain?" he asked harshly, facing her fully now. "First, we get into an 'accident' and we find out that we're married and these children are ours." He gestured towards the sleeping children, not believing that the stubborn Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother are now fully dependent on him and his most trusted subordinate. "They're not supposed to be our children, Hawkeye! Heck, how are we not even court-martialled for this? And now..." he gasped in inhalation and clutched his chest. "Is Truth behind all this? Is he mocking us? Or is he punishing us for all our sins? He must think we're so entertaining right now."

The bitterness and volume of his voice steadily increased and Hawkeye surrendered her pointer finger to Alphonse's grasp to keep him from waking.

"How dare he fucking play with Maes' memories? Is it not enough that he's already dead!? Is it not enough that Gracia is left a widow and Elysia fatherless?"

Riza chose to remain silent, knowing that the Brigadier General was asking her questions she can't answer. All of this didn't feel real to her and her brain was still trying to keep up with everything that has been happening to them. It's like whatever it was that brought them here knew their deepest, darkest desires and put them to life...literally now, in Maes' case.

Neither she nor Roy were oblivious to the fact that their relationship wouldn't be platonic if they weren't in the military. Numerous slip-ups during the Ishval war and even during their assignment in East City proved that. A handful of times, she found herself pressed between the hot sand brick wall of an abandoned building they just raided and the higher-ranking Flame Alchemist, her hands in his hair and his gloved hands gripping her hips almost painfully and tongues battling for dominance as the thumping of their hearts drowned out the sounds of destruction that plagued their minds even in slumber.

And now, in this world, they find out they're happily married with two children and one on the way. And they still moved steps closer to accomplishing Roy's goal to become President of a democratic country.

It was so unfair. Why could they have both here when they can only choose one path in that world they came from?

And there's Edward and Alphonse. The boys lost almost everything they had at such a young age. Their mother, the constant presence of a father, their childhood, their innocence, their complete bodies...

Then this world turned them into innocent children and suddenly offered not just one parent, but two. With another younger sibling to come. Plus, they are absolutely free to enjoy their complete bodies, free of any metallic prosthetics.

Now, perhaps the biggest twist of all: Roy's bestfriend and personal advisor, who they buried to the ground a few years earlier after getting murdered by the Homunculus Envy, calmly walks back into their lives as if they didn't see his cold, lifeless corpse in that damned phonebooth.

Had Roy guessed correctly? Could it be Truth punishing them for all the sins they committed? Was this their payment for all the lives they took in Ishval? For committing the ultimate taboo of human transmutation?

For all the mothers, fathers, children and friends they took from this world, they were shown this world of 'what-could-have-been's had they chosen very different paths that the ones they took.

Oh, what a cruel being Truth was.

A few minutes passed by in silence and she woke up from her reverie with a start when her brooding commanding officer spoke. "Since we don't know where exactly we are, what and how this happened, and how we could go back to our reality," he paused and she raised her eyes to him andfound him stroking Alphonse's hair with a fond look on his face and with another hand adjusting his grip on Edward. Gone was the dark shadow that dominated his features moments ago. "I guess we can let the kids enjoy being kids and not having to worry about growing up too fast."

"Come in," Riza called out after hearing a series of knocks against the door.

She pointed the remote to the television and muted the volume of a children's show when the door opened, revealing Maes and a few other additions. Edward tore his gaze from the cartoon show and practically beamed when he saw Elysia. the little girl, in turn, ran to Riza's side of the bed.

"Auntie!" she squealed and lifted both of her arms. "Up up, please!"

"Oh no, Elysia-" Gracia began chastising and was about to step forward, but Riza already had the girl in her arms.

Riza gave the other woman a smile. "Don't worry, Gracia. It's fine." She turned towards the little girl and smiled adoringly. "Of course, sweetheart. But you have to give Auntie Riza a kiss afterwards, okay?"

"Okay!" came the enthusiastic reply.

With both her legs in casts, it was a bit difficult for Riza to twist just her upper body and she quietly grunted at the effort as she heaved Elysia up and onto the bed. She winced slightly when her skin rubbed painfylly against the cast but schooled her features immediately, knowing Maes and Gracia were both observing her.

"Thank you, Autnie Riza!" Elysia giggled before wrapping her tiny arms around the blond woman's neck and giving her a loud smooch on the cheek.

In response, Riza rubbed her nose against the child's. Elysia giggled once more before turning to Edward who beckoned her to watch the television with him. Finally, Riza turned towards the adults standing by the doorway.

"Hello, Maes and Gracia," she greeted them properly with a polite smile. "Please make yourselves comfortable."

The couple settled themselves on the ocuch near the door and put the bags they brought on the table. They must have brought dinner since Roy mentioned earlier in passing how much he hated hospital food.

"How are you feeling now, dear?" Gracia asked with a motherly voice.

Alphonse, noticing he didn't have his brother's sole attention anymore, crawled over to his mother and Riza carefully sat the toddler in her lap so he didn't touch her injuty. She leaned back slightly so the boy could watch the show comfortably before turning to answer the older woman's query. "I'm feeling significantly better than the past few days," she said then she unconsciously rubbed the part where skin met plaster. "But my legs would need a few months to heal completely."

"Oh my, I can only imagine how difficult the next few months would be," Gracia voiced with a frown. "You know, with the kids and with school starting next month. Not to mention that the campaign period has just recently started."

Maes wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders. "We want you to know, Riza, that we'd be glad to assist if needed," he added sincerely, knowing perfectly well that Riza was going to deny it good-naturely. "We can even babysit Ed and Al for you when it becomes too busy."

The door to the adjoining bathroom opened and Roy came out wearing fresh clothes and was rubbing a towel against his damp hair. He caught sight of the visitors. "Oh. Hey, Maes." He drew a breath shakily before walking over to the newcomers. He shook his bestfriend's hand and turned to Gracia, bending over to kiss her cheek. "Hello, Gracia."

"Papa!" Alphonse perked up at the sight of his father. He had been asleep when Roy entered the bathroom for a shower and had missed the older man greatly.

The child squirmed in his mother's arms, causing her to inhale sharply when he accidentally hit a sore spot on her knee. And Roy must have noticed since he quickly sprang into action and snatched Alphonse into his arms.

"You need to be careful, buddy," the dark-haired man chastised the child gently. "You don't want to hurt Mama, do you?"

Alphonse's golden hazel eyes widened in alarm and he whipped his head towards Riza. "Mama?" His mouth pulled into an adorable pout and his eyes watered but the child seemed to want to hold back from crying.

Riza wanted to uncharacteristically coo at the cute display but she stomped on the urge. Just a few days in this strange world and it's already influencing her thoughts and emotions. And maybe the hormones are also part of it. "Mama's fine, darling," she told the boy, reaching up to gently pinch his pudgy cheek. She, then, turned to glare at her 'husband'.

Roy just chuckled and walked away to help the other couple set up the table for dinner. With everyone else preoccupied, Riza had a chance to survey the room the whole family shared in detail.

The four beds lined up together at the center of the spacious room, facing the wall where the television was mounted. The right corner of that same wall held the door that led to the bathroom which Roy had just used, while the left side of the wall continued to another section of the vast room which could also be called a kitchenette, a reception area, and a living room in one.

Gracia heated food on the stove while Maes loaded the fridge with different kinds of beverages and desserts. And Roy laid plates and utensils on the table for all seven of them with the help of Alphonse.

Her eyes came to where the wheelchair was parked.

 _Her_ wheelchair.

Her cheeks still became hot with embarrassment when she had to ask Roy for help going to the bathroom. She really detested being treated like an invalid, which Roy had vehemently denied.

He called her _temporarily incapable._

The fine hairs on the back of her neck prickled at the sensation of someone watching her intently. She turned her amber gaze to her eldest boy who didn't even flinch at being caught staring. Instead, the golden-haired boy crawled across the bed and over to her to tentatively touch the cast on her right leg, just below the knee.

"Mama?" his voice was just above a murmur but she picked it up. His eyes were fixed on her legs in a strange mix of fascination, curiosity, anxiety and fear.

When did Mama's legs become like those of a statue's?

"Yes, Edward?" Riza prompted when he didn't continue, causing the child to look up to her. And only then did she see the tears gathering around her son's golden irises. Thinking back to the rash and volatile nature of the Edward Elric she had known as the Fullmetal Alchemist and Major of the Amestrian Military, she opted for the gentle approach. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Mama?" he repeated, this time putting both of his hands on her cheeks.

She almost laughed when he pinched her cheeks experimentally. "Yes, Edward?" she, too, repeated with patience.

And then the child's hands were back on her cast. She had to wonder where this fascination came from and why Edward seemed so distressed by their presence on her legs.

"Are you going to die, Mama?"

 **Yes! Finally finished this one.**


	6. አባት

**Edited: April 15, 2018**

* * *

 **Chapter 6:** **አባት ( _Amharic:_ abati)**

* * *

The whole room fell silent save for the soft music coming from the television, and the adults all turned their wide eyes towards Edward. The said child's desperate gaze never wavered from his mother's. It was as if he thought if he relented for even a moment, she would answer his question in affirmative and _just die_ right then and there.

"What…" Riza paused, collecting her thoughts and reminding herself that she was talking to a four-year-old.

Her eyes drifted towards Roy's and they exchanged glances. His dark eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. Edward's question must have surprised him too. He shrugged in a helpless manner, signaling that he didn't know what to do either.

"What made you think so, Edward?" she finally asked, carefully pulling the highly-emotional child to her lap.

Edward clutched the front of her hospital gown and buried his face in her chest. He shook his head and refrained from telling her why he suddenly asked if she was dying.

The blonde sniper decided not to push the subject and just held the child close, choosing to let her motherly instincts kick in and relishing on the feeling of the small body cradled in her arms.

She now knew what a mother felt when holding her troubled child.

Her heart had thudded painfully when she saw the boy's teary eyes as he asked her the question. Why would he even think that she wouldn't be around for long? For some reason, the thought brought a heavy weight to her heart and she quickly vanquished any thoughts of the two children being left alone to fend for themselves.

* * *

Roy had never been so confused in his life. One moment, Edward was happily playing with Maes' daughter. Then the next, he was shocking everyone by asking such a loaded question. What's up with this kid, honestly?

Also, he had absolutely no experience handling crying children before, seeing as he was the youngest kid in Christmas' bar. So just imagine his panic when Alphonse suddenly burst into tears in sync with his older brother.

Big, fat tears rolled down the three-year-old's chubby cheeks when he noticed Edward clinging to their Mama for dear life and he squirmed restlessly in Roy's grip, demanding to be released so he could comfort his brother. The older man's arms were unrelenting, so he resorted to flailing his arms around wildly.

"Ow!" Roy grunted more in surprise than pain when the kid's fist slugged his face.

Maes snickered as he opened the refrigerator to retrieve a pitcher of ice cold water. "You're lucky children don't belong to the voting population, my friend."

He set the boy on the bed beside Riza and rubbed his abused nose. "And why is that?" he asked, suspicious.

"Because you're not very popular with them."

He rolled his eyes at his bestfriend, relishing on this chance to banter with him. "Aww, damn you, Maes."

The two women in the room collectively gasped and turned to him sharply. "Language, Roy!"

"I guess you won't be popular with the women too."

* * *

The whole room was bathed in reds and yellows by the time the Hughes family left. After they ate their lunch, Roy and Maes delved into their plans on the upcoming start of the election campaigns while Riza entertained Gracia's fawning over the news of her pregnancy. Maes was his political adviser and spokesperson. Roy also learned that the rest of his unit worked closely with them.

Jean Havoc was the Mustangs' Head of Security and Roy's personal bodyguard, personally selected by Roy for his marksmanship and loyalty. That, and they had become good friends when they were assigned a mission together during Roy's mandatory two years of military service.

Heymans Breda was Havoc's second-in-command and the strategist of the team. Roy met the burly man after he won as Governor of the East region. Roy had gone to eat at a local diner with Riza who was, then, five months pregnant with Edward. Breda had been sitting in the next table, eating a burger, and tipped his hat in recognition of the newly-appointed governor, and congratulated Roy on both the win and the baby. Later on, it was he who shouted at them to get down just before the first bullet broke the diner's window and lodged into the back of Roy's seat. Breda was a retired second lieutenant and Roy immediately recruited him to be part of the team.

Vato Falman, according to Maes, was introduced to him by accident. The older man had worked in the agency assigned with the local government's official documents. Roy had been irritable one morning because someone typed the wrong serial number for a particularly important document and it was due to be sent to President Grumman that very same day. Falman was passing by the governor's open office door and offered to help. Maes recalled that Roy was reluctant but accepted the help anyway and invited the grey-haired man into the office. Falman was given the document, took one look at it and promptly listed off numbers and letters that made up the serial number of the document. Roy immediately sent Breda to the archives to check if the numbers matched, still a bit skeptical of the older man's mental prowess. Not long after that, Breda returned with the confirmation that it was _indeed_ correct. And Roy proceeded to further test Falman's ability. Havoc had enjoyed watching Falman scribble furiously as he recounted the Amestrian Book of Law word for word.

Feury was the newest member of the team, having only joined not even a year ago. He was just fresh out of college when Roy personally sought him out and offered him a job as his communications specialist. Apparently, his thesis about Ishval sparked his interest/

The last team member was…

He looked over to the blond-haired woman who stubbornly struggled to climb onto the bed from her wheelchair. She had just finished showering since she was not able to do so when the Hughes family arrived earlier.

He watched as Riza put both hands flat on the mattress and braced herself into a mighty heave. But, her body still weak from the bruises she obtained from the accident, her arms shook violently. She eventually dropped back to her chair with a frustrated huff.

He moved towards her from his spot by the window. "You know you could always ask for my help."

She directed the full force of her glare towards him and he could see that she was more embarrassed than angry that he saw her in that situation. "No, sir. I can manage," she replied tersely, preparing to try once more. "I just needed to-"

A small gasp of surprise escaped her lips when Roy wordlessly hooked his arms under her knees and effortlessly lifted her to the bed while being extra careful not to wake the sleeping children.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'sir'?" he lightly scolded.

"Habits," she muttered. Her amber gaze slid over to the two children. It had been challenging to get Edward to let go of her all afternoon and she had to wait until he fell asleep before she could even _think_ about going somewhere else.

Alphonse had also clung to her with that same desperation that confused both her and Roy.

"These two are such Mama's boys," Roy commented, taking a seat on the space next to her. He motioned for her to turn around.

She eyed him curiously but later complied to his request. "They have always been Mama's boys…even before."

Roy suppressed a shudder as the images of humanoid that supposedly was Trisha Elric in the Elrics' basement amidst the blood and gore that scattered the floor. Instead, he busied himself with undoing the towel that she wrapped around her head. A smirk formed on his lips at the way she jumped when his fingers accidentally brushed against her neck, free of the scar that marred the smooth skin. It struck him that most of the scars from the other world disappeared in this one.

His dark eyes bore on her clothed back.

 _Is it possible…?_

"What are you doing, Roy?"

He came back from his musings and his smirk widened. Riza might not have stuttered or squeaked when she spoke, but he knew she was uncomfortable. And he preferred her uncomfortable than apathetic. "Relax, I'll just help you brush your hair." He fingered the soft strands and marveled at the sight before him though he saw it before. It was the first thing he noticed when he regained consciousness in this world after all. "I know you're not used to it being this long."

In all the years they have known each other, the longest Roy had ever seen Riza grow her hair was after they got transferred to Central. It had reached past her shoulders but she always tied it up in her signature unforgiving bun. The only time he saw her let it loose was when she visited him at the hospital after the Promised Day.

He guessed she did that so he won't get a glimpse of the bandages on her neck.

He let his fingers slide from her scalp to the very tips of her blonde strands against her hip, drawing a sigh from her. "Thank you."

Behind her, Roy chuckled and shook his head. He picked up the comb from the nightstand and started on his task. "So what was that with Edward earlier?"

She absentmindedly scratched the skin she could reach under the cast. "I think he got upset over my injury," she told him. "I saw him eyeing and touching my cast suspiciously before he asked me that question."

"Hmm…" he hummed, deep in thought.

She let the silence drag on for a couple of minutes before breaking it. "What's on your mind?"

The brush glided deliciously against her scalp and he felt her sigh against him. "Don't you find it strange?"

"What is?"

He let his hands fall to his lap when she turned to face him, her features forming a delicate frown. It was quickly replaced with a gentle expression when Edward rolled over in his sleep and snuggled against her side, both mother and son sighing in contentment, albeit the former doing it unconsciously.

"That you actually look like the kids," he answered, his right hand rising to twirl a few strands of her hair. "You know, same colouring and all."

Her eyebrow rose. "And…?"

He dropped his hand once more and his gaze followed. "And I don't, yet people still believe that they're my sons."

"Let me see…" He heard her shift slightly and felt her fingers against his chin, bringing his head back up to peer at his face.

His breath faltered at her sudden and unexpected close proximity. He could now clearly see the gold and red specks of colour in her irises. He was surprised to see a couple of subtle freckles – they had to have appeared when they transferred from the hot climate of East City to the dreary and cold Central – dotting the skin around her nose.

"H-Hey…"

"Well, sir, I'd have to say that I found quite a lot of similarities between you and the boys," Riza finally declared after a few moments of scrutinizing his face. Her fingers slid from his chin to fully cup his jaw and he wondered if she felt his face heating up. "You three share the same set of jaw." Then her forefinger extended slightly to tickle his earlobe that he had to suppress a shudder. "The same monkey ears." Her thumb slid to his nose, letting him smell the coconut vanilla lotion Gracia had brought for her earlier. "The same nose shape." He stopped breathing altogether as her thumb brushed his mouth. "And the way you smirk arrogantly is identical. Seriously, all they have of me is the hair and the eyes. The rest is all you."

Then she dropped her hand and turned towards the suddenly fussy Alphonse. He had been so caught up with her ministrations that he didn't notice the child waking up. He shook his head and breathed in deeply to help calm his erratic heartbeat.

Seriously, what the _fuck_ was that, Hawkeye?

* * *

Okay, I know. It was super late. OTL


	7. እናት

**Edited: April 16, 2018**

.

* * *

 **Chapter 7:** **እናት ( _Amharic:_ inati)**

* * *

Riza sat on the porch of a mansion she didn't recognize, drinking tea and keeping a watchful eye over Edward and Alphonse as they played with Black Hayate on their vast backyard. The waning heat of the sun hinted that it was early evening and she would have to call the kids over soon. Mrs. Gallahger should be finished with supper by now.

"They're still playing? At this rate, they will devour all the food and nothing will be left for us." She almost jumped in her seat when a familiar voice sounded right beside her ear. Roy's embrace was warm and sturdy as his arms encircled her waist. "You know they are food monsters when they're tired. Especially since we're having stew."

She leaned against him and sighed. "Then Mrs. Gallahger can just make some more."

Roy's soft chuckle vibrated against her back and she felt his lips against her hair.

Riza closed her eyes in contentment. This _had_ to be a dream. Life had never been kind to her after all and she had her whole life as proof.

When she was a child, life seemed perfect. Her mother was a lovely woman who loved to play the piano and baked delicious apple pies every autumn and braided her hair every night. Her father was a silent supporter when she said she wanted to be a hunter…or when she wanted to be a veterinarian…or back when she declared she wanted to be a dog trainer.

But everything changed when her mother died.

Berthold cut her hair short, sold the piano and the apple tree in the backyard was chopped off for firewood. Her father buried himself in his work, leaving his study only for meals and the occasional doctor's visit.

After years of her father's silent treatment, he took an apprentice with the name of Roy Mustang. She finally had a friend, someone she could talk to when her father lashed out at her for entering his study and attempting to clean it.

But then, Roy left to join the military. And her father gave her the burden of the Flame Alchemy.

The next time she saw Roy was in the hot desserts of Ishval after a particularly violent raid in one of its villages. Her scraped hands piled up rubble over the dead child's grave. There was no happiness in that place and the only hope she had of redeeming her of all the atrocities she committed in the war was when Roy asked her to be his adjutant.

Then the Promised Day happened.

Everytime she thought she could be happy, something happens that makes her back-pedal.

Alphonse's shriek made her open her eyes and her heart beat painfully against her chest at what she saw. Hayate transformed into a large green dinosaur-like creature and loomed over the two children paralyzed in fear. She yelled out their names urgently and both ran towards her and Roy.

She moved to stand but found that she couldn't. The little hairs on her nape prickled and her eyes widened in fear. Only once did she feel this tension and anxiety.

"Hello again, Lieutenant Hawkeye," the voice of a seemingly innocent Selim Bradley spoke and she could see a faceless man with a wide grin in her peripherals.

She froze in terror and her eyes frantically searched the vicinity for Roy. In front of her, Ed and Al were still running towards her. But then, an invisible force knocked the children down. Ed struggled to stand up while Al remained still.

Her sharp eyes registered Edward clutching his right shoulder…or at least where his arm was supposed to be. And, for sure, his left leg would be in the same state. She felt nauseated at the amount of blood oozing from the older child's injuries.

And Alphonse just remained motionless.

* * *

Riza woke up with a start, breathing heavily and hair slicked with sweat.

"Bad dream?"

In her highly anxious state, she swung a fist to the direction of the voice.

"Oof!" the voice, which sounded very much like Roy's, groaned. "What the hell, Riza?!"

She scrambled to grab the light switch by the bed and yanked on it, bathing the room with light. Roy was beside her, clutching his cheek in pain.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry, General!" she paused when Roy held a hand up to stop her apologies but she continued anyway. "You surprised me. I thought you were someone else."

"Don't apologize, Riza," he told her in a mild tone. "And didn't I tell you that I'm not your commanding officer in this world?"

She didn't say anything and just looked down on her hands. Her leg was still healing in a cast and she couldn't really flee from his scrutinizing gaze.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Roy asked again.

She nodded. "Yes."

She turned her gaze towards the window near her side of the bed. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, illuminating the vast garden of the Mustang family estate.

She shuddered at the memory of the dream and turned away from the window.

They had been discharged from the hospital two days ago, with extra instructions from the doctors to just _take it easy_ for a couple of days. But she still wasn't able to move around freely to check for any and every possible evacuation plans, so she wasn't feeling very comfortable with the house yet.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Roy gently pried, arranging the pillows so she was properly propped up in a sitting position.

As they kept no secret from each other, she told him every detail of the dream and her thoughts and fears about this whole situation. He just listened, keeping every word in mind. She knew he somehow felt the same apprehension and the weight of suddenly becoming parents. She just appreciated that they had each other to depend on.

They continued to talk about anything and everything when they heard rushed footsteps outside the door.

"Brother, shhh! Quiet!" they heard Alphonse hiss.

"But Mr. Sun is already up!" Edward retorted, clearly annoyed that the two adults weren't up yet. "I want Mama!"

"Ssshh!"

Roy and Riza looked at each other in amusement. This was why people often mistook Al as the older sibling between the two. Roy clicked his tongue and stood up to open the door for the kids.

But Edward beat him to it, slamming the door open and rammed straight into Roy's midsection.

"Oof!" Roy groaned in pain for the second time in the past hour. "At this rate, I'd have to go back to the hospital."

Edward giggled and stuck his tongue out at his father before running to his mother on the bed. Roy's expression softened as his gaze followed the child Fullmetal Alchemist.

The title hardly fit the four-year-old anymore. There was no alchemy in this world. He tried, wanting to roast Havoc with a makeshift array he drew on paper since he didn't have his gloves when the man tried lighting a cigarette in front of the kids. But, nada. No alchemy.

He watched as Edward chatted animatedly with Riza about how to plan the perfect picnic party, complete with hand gestures and sound effects.

Yes, this Edward was nothing like the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Papa, up up!"

He looked down to Alphonse looking at him expectantly with his arms held out, waiting to be acknowledged.

Roy immediately picked the child up. "Your brother is really energetic this early in the morning, isn't he?"

Alphonse giggled and whispered conspiratorially to him. A smirk slowly formed on Roy's face as the plan was completely laid out, and a chuckle escaped him at the genius of the brothers.

He ignored the curious look Riza sent his way.

Edward and Alphonse may be nothing like themselves, but they were still freaking geniuses!

* * *

A/N: Yey! Only one more chapter to edit! :D


	8. الآب

**Edited: April 21, 2018**

…

…

…

 **Chapter 8:** الآب **(** _ **Arabic:**_ **alab)**

…

…

…

Roy glared at the stack of papers in front of him. The damn paperwork followed him everywhere.

The day had started out great for him: the sky was clear and he could almost hear the metaphorical birds singing on the windowsill. He also had a beautiful woman sleeping beside him, flaxen hair spread out across the pillows in an ethereal halo.

Riza had gotten up a couple of times in the early morning to rush to the toilet and proceed to empty her stomach. The stew from last night must not have agreed with her even though she appeared to have enjoyed it as much as the rest of the family did.

That must have tired her out because she was not one to oversleep. And Roy could count with one hand the instances where he woke up earlier than the perfectly disciplined Hawkeye. So he let her sleep while he got ready for the day.

He had hoped to just relax and maybe sign a few budget proposals here and there. But _Falman_ had entered his home office and was more than happy to ruin his day with folders upon folders of files he needed to look over and review and the draft for his speech at the upcoming political convention next month.

That was more than an hour ago and he had yet to make a dent at the towering stack.

The door clicked open and he quickly took the opportunity to slack off some more, dropping his pen and pushing away from the table. The door swung, revealing a freshly-bathed Riza carrying a tray of some food and two steaming cups. She looked so domesticated in a simple white sundress and with her hair down. Even her aura seemed different from the gun-wielding captain in their world.

"I brought you coffee and some biscuits," she announced. Even her voice lost some of the edge that always made lesser men shake and cower. "And I brought tea for myself, if you don't mind my company?" her steps faltered as if she was hesitating.

Roy hid his smile against his entwined hands. "No, not at all." He gestured for her to enter and sit on the sofa facing his desk. "I'm actually just about to take a break."

A blonde eyebrow rose as her eyes swept over his messy desk, and Roy just _knew_ that she was wondering if he hadn't been taking a break all this time. She placed the tray on the coffee table near the sofa and carefully deposited its contents onto the flat surface of the wood.

He kept his dark eyes on her as she braced herself on one of the armrests before lowering herself to sit with a shuddering sigh. Her leg cast had been removed a few days ago and while walking didn't bother her much, standing or sitting were always a challenge.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, noticing the slight shaking of her hands as she took her cup of tea and took a sip from it.

She smiled to reassure him. "This is nothing I cannot handle." She sighed and relaxed into the softness of the sofa, a small smirk forming on her lips. "It seems like Falman has taken over my job bringing you your paperwork, General." She was changing the topic to keep him from worrying about her.

And it was working.

"Ugh," he groaned, depressed at being reminded. "Seems like paperwork and I are destined to be together forever."

They shared a laugh and both secretly worried how everyone was back home. There was little doubt that the office would be chaotic by now. Sometimes he wondered if Riza was thinking of ways to go back, or if they still could. She had adapted so well that she might as well be originally from here.

They knew it was alchemy that brought them in this world and, with Equivalent Exchange, he is assuming that they could go back through alchemy as well. And, being Berthold Hawkeye's daughter, he also knew that Riza had extensive knowledge of the science even if she didn't practice it.

Could she be researching on her own on ways to go back home? He knew he had to talk to her about it sometime soon since all he's finding are dead ends.

"Erm… what's that?" Riza pointed to the piece of paper Roy was perusing when she came in.

The man stood with the document in his hands and walked over to the sofa. He passed it to her and sat beside her. He watched as various expressions appeared on her face at certain parts of the speech and he half expected her to stop and giver her opinion midway, but she just kept on reading quickly.

He took the cup of coffee and looked over at the plate of cookies. ' _Hmm… Chocolate chip,_ ' he thought. ' _My favourite._ ' He knew she baked them. These were the cookies she often baked for him during the winter nights at the Hawkeye manor after all.

"This is actually good, Roy," she complimented when she finished, giving back the paper. "Who wrote it?"

"If I told you I wrote it, would you believe me?" he said in between mouthfuls of cookies, causing her to grimace. He didn't even think about swallowing his food first.

"No," she replied in a flat voice and Roy's ego very visibly deflated at her bluntness as he sagged against the couch. She had to hide her laugh with a cough. "You were never this articulate, Roy."

He huffed in mock annoyance and slightly turned away from her. He heard a chuckle escape from her and he watched her from the corner of his eyes. She was nibbling on a cookie in between small gulps of tea.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, facing her again.

She tucked her hair behind an ear and put her half-eaten cookie on the plate. "Tired," she answered honestly. "And it would definitely help if I could keep my food down for more than a few hours."

Roy frowned in concern. "Have you eaten anything at all today?" He glanced at her cookie.

"Just this cookie here."

It was a little past noon already. And she had only had half a cookie to eat?

He abruptly stood up and he could feel her curious eyes on him. "C'mon."

"Where?" she questioned, but moved to stand up nonetheless.

"It's lunch time. And I have to feed you and Baby Mustang," he declared, wrapping an arm around her shoulders when she wobbled.

Her eyes widened at his mention of the baby and he could see the faint reddening of her ears. "Erm… But it's _Baby Mustang_ 's fault that I keep throwing up, so…"

"So, I'll have to feed you more."

…

…

…

It was almost 3pm when a knock interrupted them and Roy was in the middle of practicing the speech for the sixth time. Both of them turned to see one of the househelps carrying Alphonse and with a frowning Edward clutching her skirt. Roy immediately went to Riza's side to help her stand.

"What happened, Amelia?" the blond woman asked worriedly.

Amelia walked over to the parents and Alphonse immediately reached out for Roy. "Miss Riza, the children were running home from school while chasing Black Hayate and Little Ed tripped and fell."

Edward hid further behind Amelia but his grumble was clearly heard, "I am not little!"

Riza ignored Edward's indignant comment before reaching behind the younger girl to pluck the child away. She gathered him in her arms and closely inspected his knees. "Does it hurt?" she asked. It should. His right knee had quite a large scratch. It was superficial, but it covered a large area. An ugly bruise was also starting to form around the wound.

Edward obviously tried to hide a sniffle but shook his head. "No, Mama. It's nothing. I am a big boy."

Somewhere in the background, Roy snorted and rolled his eyes. "Let's see if it really doesn't hurt."

He stepped towards the two blondes and extended a hand to Edward's knee. He gently poked just a few inches from the actual injury and wasn't really surprised when the four-year-old and buried his face in his mother's neck.

"See? It _does_ hurt!" Roy announced triumphantly but immediately deflated when he saw Riza's evil eye directed towards him. "What? I just wanted to know if he really was fine."

"You're acting like an overgrown child, Roy."

Surely, she won't be court-martialed for insulting Roy here?

"Wha…" Roy looked like a fish out of water.

"Amelia," Riza faced the younger woman who watched the family with amusement. "Help me with Edward and Alphonse's baths." The girl responded with a 'Yes, Miss Riza' before taking Alphonse from a sulking Roy. "And, Roy, make sure you finish your paperwork soon so you can join us for tea. Maes and the men will be joining us for supper later and will be collecting those papers." Then she smirked at his distressed face. "So, really, you don't have any choice but to finish them now."

Riza turned and strode out the room, hearing Roy mutter, "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

…

…

…

"Mama, do you like birds?" Edward asked out of the blue as she gently pulled his freshly washed hair into a neat braid.

She raised an eyebrow. What a random question. "Hmm? Why do you ask?"

Seated in a nearby chair, being powdered all over by Amelia, Alphonse gasped, "Brother, no!"

In response, Edward stiffened and she could almost see the gears turning in his brilliant mind. "Um.. Err… I saw a pretty bird earlier and I wanted to show you but it flew away and became a cloud!"

She smiled at the obvious lie and decided to go along with it. She just hoped that whatever the boys are hiding from her won't end up with her tending to any more scrapes than she already had.

"Yes, Edward. I like birds."

Encouraged by their mother answering, Alphonse was quick to follow up. "What color do you like?"

Hmm. They're definitely planning something.

She took a hair tie and finished braiding Edward's hair before turning to the younger child. "When I was a child, my favourite color was yellow. Then it became blue, but now my favourite color is black." Not really a favourite, just a preference. Almost all her belongings are black, with the exception of her military blues. They're just easier to clean that way.

"But, Mama! Black is not a color!"

"It's a sad color, Mama! Change it again!"

Both kids protested strongly, with Edward stomping his feet and Alphonse wiggling in his chair that Amelia had to pluck the child from his seat and onto the ground. The younger brother ran to his mother and tugged at her dress.

Riza directed her gaze to him. "Yes, love?"

"Will you please change your favourite color to yellow again?" Alphonse requested, and Riza swore he purposefully made his eyes wider and rounder for added effect. He even had a cute little blush on. "Because it's the same color as your hair and I like your hair because it's shiny and sparky and long like the girl from the story you always read for us during bedtime."

"Oh, Rapunzel?" She remembered the book Roy had pulled from the children's bookshelf the other week and has since been their go-to story of the family if they're having a particularly difficult time tucking the boys in.

Both boys nodded enthusiastically. And even though she was getting increasingly confused at the random questions the boys threw at her, they were having fun. And she wasn't about to be the spoilsport.

…

…

…

 **A/n: Phew. I'll upload a new chapter within the next week. That is a promise, youknowbecauseRizahasaguntomyhead.**


	9. أم

**Finished writing this on May 5** **th** **2018, but had to postpone posting because of a trip to the hospital.**

 **NOTE: FOR OLD READERS, PLEASE RE-READ CHAPTERS 1-8 BECAUSE I CHANGED A LOT OF THINGS THERE AND YOU MIGHT GET CONFUSED WITH CHAPTER 9.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:** أم **(** _ **Arabic: 'um)**_

* * *

Roy opened his eyes just as Riza left the bed in a hurry. Her footsteps were muffled by the dark red carpet and the en-suite bathroom door slammed open a few moments later and Hayate yelped from almost being stepped on. He could hear faint retching sounds coming from the direction Riza had gone to and he gingerly sat up and turned the lamp on, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. According to the clock on the bedside table, it was still four in the morning.

"Too early," he grumbled just as Riza re-entered the room, teeth freshly brushed.

Her eyes automatically found his and her expression changed into apologetic. "Sorry, I woke you up again, Roy," she whispered, throat raw from having to throw up three times since going to bed the night before.

"It's fine," he replied as he walked over to where she stood. "How are you feeling?"

Up close, he could see that her face was flushed and her breathing was a bit shallow. Her eyes were also slightly red and surrounded by dark circles from a week of almost no sleep. She was already starting to lose weight too, and Roy fought to make her eat more.

"Like an elephant stepped on me," she answered with a roll of her eyes, clearly annoyed at being weak.

"That's alright. That's normal." He steered her towards the couch by the window and gently pushed her to lay down. "Stay here and just relax for a bit."

She blinked up at him curiously, too tired to resist. "Where are you going?"

He gave her a small smile and leaned down to wipe her sweaty forehead before straightening up. "I'll just get you tea and some food."

He didn't wait for her to respond since she already looked so cozy. He quickly went downstairs to the kitchen to brew some tea that he knew calmed Riza's stomach down. He remembered her mentioning that it was some sort of secret concoction that mothers passed down to their daughters. Roy also cut up a few carrot sticks for Riza to munch on.

When he went back their room, he could see that she was still awake, but only barely so. "Hey," he called, placing the tray at a nearby table. "I've got something for you."

"Hey," she mumbled before begrudgingly pulling herself to a sitting position.

He handed her a cup of tea and held the plate of carrots sticks for her as he sat down beside her. Riza finished her tea quickly and Roy was surprised when he felt her lean down towards him until her head was sat on his lap that he had to hold the plate of carrots up.

She shifted around until she felt comfortable, her body facing him slightly. He could feel her breathe in deeply a few times before sagging against him. She must be more exhausted than she let on if she willingly let him care for her.

He finally relaxed his arms and rested the plate on the armrest by her head. "Are you feeling better?"

"Mmm…" she hummed in response before opening her eyes. Tired copper orbs stared up at him and he could see her lips quirk up a bit. "Much better. The tea helped. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome. I'll make you tea every night then," he declared, reaching for a carrot piece and holding it near her mouth. "Now, try eating these."

She wordlessly opened her mouth and bit down on the offered vegetable. They stayed quiet for a while, him alternating on feeding her and himself. He didn't even realize his hand moving to bury itself in her golden locks until a gentle sigh passed her lips.

It was a rare experience for him to see Riza with her walls down, especially since she always made a conscious effort to keep them up. Maybe it was because she was exhausted? Or could it be that motherhood is slowly changing her?

He had noticed how quickly she had adapted to being Edward and Alphonse's parent. Heck, even he felt the changes the two boys brought about in him. And Riza's pregnancy must have only intensified that motherly instinct she felt.

He saw how she'd unconsciously turn her body towards the boys whenever they're in the room, as if she felt the natural _need_ to constantly keep an eye on them. To keep them safe. Even in sleep, her arms would wrap around whichever child who wedged himself between the two adults and would affectionately tap on their buttocks to keep them comfortable in their slumber.

It seemed like she had already accepted that she was Edward and Alphonse's mother.

Had she also accepted that she was Roy's wife too?

* * *

"Gramma, c'mon!" a high-pitched voice whisper-yelled. "Mama and Papa are still sleeping. Let's just play outside!"

"Don't you want to wake them up, Edward?" a gruff voice answered and it sounded so familiar to Roy. He could tell from the direction of the voices that they were standing by the door of the bedroom to his left.

"Nah-uh." He could imagine the boy shaking his head, unruly blonde hair whipping around his little face. "Mama was sick last night and Papa stayed up to make her better."

Roy mentally groaned. Edward wasn't really 'whispering'. And who was he talking to anyway?

He opened his eyes and squinted at the bright sunlight that streamed through the windows directly in his line of sight. He turned towards the door and saw the imposing figure of his mother. Edward stood beside her with one of her hands in his much smaller ones, trying to herd her outside the room but to no avail.

"Ma-Madame?!" Roy stuttered. He had expected to see her in this world at some point. But he still was surprised at her appearance. And it brought him a sense of relief.

He moved to get up but something weighed him down. He looked down and memories of that early morning came back to him. He must have fallen asleep after making sure that Riza was comfortable. She could see her eyes moving under her closed lids. What could she be dreaming of?

Edward brightened up at the sound of his father's voice and bounded over to his parents. He placed a big kiss on his mother's cheek before greeting him with a sloppy good-morning salute. Roy had learned that it was sort of a leftover from the kid's childish hero-worship when he understood that Roy served in the military when he was a teenager.

"Hey, kiddo," he greeted back, reaching up to tousle the boy's unruly hair. "Can you tell Amelia to fetch Mama her favourite ginger tea? That will make her feel better."

Edward saluted again. "Okey-dokey, sir!" Then he ran downstairs to do as he was told.

The older woman entered the room properly and shut the door softly. She then turned off the lamp he had left on earlier and proceeded to tidy up the bed. "I meant to visit here when I heard of the accident weeks ago, but important business in Central kept me there."

He recognized his mother's own form of apology and waved it away. He knew what _important business_ entailed. "It's alright. We just got a few broken bones and scratches here and there. Nothing to be too worried about."

"If you say so," she relented. She picked up a blanket and draped it on Riza. "A little bird told me Riza was not feeling well last night?" Madame Christmas stated, but she made it sound like it was a question. Her sharp eyes scanned the sleeping woman in concealed concern before she straightened and stationed herself by the window.

"Can you tell that _little bird_ not to talk so loud so early in the morning?" he replied with a smirk, shifting carefully so that he won't wake Riza up. "She hasn't been getting enough sleep for a couple of weeks now. And her stomach would only allow for mild food."

The madame cocked her head to the side curiously. There was no doubt that she was already thinking of all the possibilities of Riza's condition. "And have you seen a doctor yet?"

"Yes," was his simple answer. His smirk softened into a smile as he waited for Madame Christmas to make a deduction.

The older woman raised an eyebrow and was about to say something when movement drew their attention to the waking younger woman.

"Roy?" she mumbled, her voice husky with sleep. "What time is it?"

His hands rose on their own and brushed her hair away from her face. "You can sleep in if you want to."

For a second, he thought that she would acquiesce and fall asleep again. But she was already pushing herself into a sitting position, the blanket falling to her waist. When her sharp eyes found the older woman looking at them with amusement, she let out a gasp in surprise.

"Madame!"

"Good morning to you, Riza," Madame Christmas greeted, still looking amused. "How are you feeling?"

Riza turned to Roy and regarded her with a look that said something like: _did you tell her I was being vulnerable and weak last night?_ And he just replied with a noncommittal shrug, so her attention turned towards the older woman once again.

"I feel fine, madame," she answered and moved to stand and fold the blanket in that precise and perfect way the military personnel do.

"I guess I should congratulate the both of you," she looked pointedly between the couple before turning around and stopping just short of the door. "But since it seems like you still haven't made the announcement to Edward and Alphonse, I'm deciding I'm still as clueless."

Then she opened the door and strode out, leaving the two amused. It really was no surprise that Chris Mustang had found out about the pregnancy before they even _told_ her. She specialized in information gathering and Roy had been the subject of her scrutiny for almost all his life. She was one of the only two women in the whole world in whose presence he always felt like an open book.

Roy released a sigh before standing up as well, snatching the rest of the blankets from her so he could fold them. "Anyway, are you up for breakfast? I sent for tea, but we can have it downstairs if you want."

Riza paused for a bit, clearly assessing herself. "Downstairs," she answered simply. "I have to make sure the kids are ready for school. What time is it?"

He peered at the clock by the bed. "Half past eleven."

"I'm sorry?"

He smiled secretly. He was telling the infamous Captain Hawkeye that _she overslept._ "It's eleven-thirty."

He coughed to hide his laugh as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. "That can't be right."

"I'm not lying," he chuckled and he moved behind her and put both hands on her shoulders. He pushed her forward and gently herded her out the door. "Also, there are no classes today. It's Saturday, _Mama._ "

* * *

 _Riza remembered all those years ago, she had just put the venison they had hunted the day before in the oven. From her spot in the kitchen, she could see her father's most recent apprentice pacing under the old beech tree with a large tome in his hands and a pencil between his teeth._

 _It had been about six weeks since the boy from Central arrived and her father had given him the book with orders to memorize each formula for an assessment that would take place in less than two weeks. From the expression of desperation and hopelessness etched in the young man's exotic features, he must have hit a roadblock of some sort in his studies._

 _This was around the time that the apprentices gave up, packed their belongings and boarded the first train out of the remote backwoods of Western. And she had taken to peeking in Mr. Mustang's quarters every morning to see if she'd have to make breakfast for two instead of three._

 _There hadn't been much interaction between her and Mr. Mustang since he was always either so absorbed in his studies or preoccupied with the tasks her father assigned him. And she busy with housework and her own studies. And, though the most they said to each other were just plain greetings, the presence of someone in her age group was comforting. That's something she was willing to work to keep._

" _Ugh!"_

 _Her eyes found he had stopped pacing and just plopped near the base of the tree with his head in his hands. He looked every inch a defeated young man, surrendering to his fate of failed apprenticeships and disappointed aunts and foster sisters._

 _She bit her lip to hide her smile before wiping her hands on the old pink apron that belonged to her mother. She pushed herself from the counter and walked to the backdoor that led to the spot where Mr. Mustang sat._

" _If I write this here…no, the formula won't be balanced…but where does it…okay, from the beginning," she heard him mumble over the sound of the pencil's lead tip scratching against his notebook._

 _He was so engrossed in his notes that he failed to sense her coming to a stop behind him to peer over at what he wrote. She could tell he nearly jumped out of his skin when her hand reached out and pointed to the equation. "You should change the exponent here, Mr. Mustang."_

" _What the f-!" he cut what he was about to say. Her father forbade foul words in the house. "Miss Riza, you almost gave me a heart attack!"_

" _I apologize, Mr. Mustang," she said, withdrawing her hand and settling next to him, careful not to sit on the damp soil in fear of ruining the pretty dress her mother sew for her a few years back. "I noticed you were having a hard time."_

" _Ah." His dark eyes went back to the book. "Master Hawkeye must be super intelligent if he understands half of what's written here."_

" _He should," She tried to hide the smirk that formed on her lips. "He's the one who wrote that book, along with a few others in his study."_

 _She finally let out a chuckle at his dumbfounded expression. His jaw dropped and dark eyes widened, and she was so sure she never saw someone looked so much like a fish out of water before. Then he surprised her by bursting into laughter. "Should've known only someone like him could author this ridiculous book!" He must have realized how that sounded since he imitated a fish once again. "Oh, no. No, I didn't mean it like that. Umm… I meant Master Hawkeye is ridiculously smart!"_

 _Riza giggled behind her palm. She didn't know Mr. Mustang could be so funny. He always looked so serious with that little frown marring his youthful face. "No worries, Mr. Mustang. There is actually a trick to understanding that book…or everything my father says, that is."_

 _Mr. Mustang brightened up, eager almond eyes sparkling. "Really? Tell me!" His ears reddened and he backtracked. "Err… That is if you want to, Miss Riza."_

 _She pursed her lips to prevent any more laughter from escaping. "Well, the trick is to concentrate."_

" _I'm sorry?"_

 _She gestured towards his notebook. "May I?" When he nodded, she took the notebook and tore a page from it. "Father always says that discipline and concentration are o matter of being interested."_

" _But I am concentrating!" his tone turned indignant._

 _She didn't look up from what she was doing and continued folding the paper between her deft hands. "I know. But you're not doing it enough."_

 _Mr. Mustang sputtered for a bit before curiosity finally won him over. "Will you tell me how?"_

 _She was quiet for a few moments before she presented him with her finished work. "Here. It's supposed to improve your concentration and reasoning skills."_

 _He looked at her incredulously before his eyes shifted to her outstretched hand. Then his eyes returned to her face. "What. You're telling me a paper bird would help me learn your father's lessons?"_

* * *

Riza shook her head, an amused smile appearing on her lips. That moment felt like a lifetime ago. Back when both she and Roy didn't know the horrors of war and they didn't know how warm blood feels like when you hold your hands over your comrade's wounds In a desperate attempt to stave the bleeding.

She pursed her lips at the sobering thought, the dreadful atmosphere threatening to corrupt one of the fondest memories she had under that beech tree.

Maes' loud laughter boomed from downstairs brought her back to the present. She regarded the inconspicuous piece of paper on the floor between Edward and Alphonse's beds with much amusement before bending down to pick it up.

Upon closer look, she could see the unmistakable curved wing of the paper crane. There was no doubt that this was the specific way she taught Roy how to make origami all those years ago.

"Hey."

Riza looked up towards the door and saw Roy entering the boys' room, Black Hayate in tow. She put the origami in her pocket and met him halfway, scooping the small black and white dog in her arms. "Hey."

"Come on, dinner's ready," he said, leading her out of the room with an arm around her shoulders.

Roy had volunteered to do the cooking since she couldn't bear to be around so many smells and aromas, so she just busied herself with folding the kids' clothes. She was confident in his skills in the kitchen since she was witness to his culinary expertise for a couple of times.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the dining area, the room was empty. She wondered where Maes and the guys were, as they had come over for an informal meeting a few hours earlier. The table was set up elaborately and the candles gave the room a warm mood. There was also a smooth instrumental jazz music coming from somewhere.

Roy steered her towards one end of the large table before seating himself on the other end at the head of the table. As if on cue, the kitchen door opened and the rest of Team Mustang along with the Hughes family appeared with each of them holding a platter of some sort of food. Soon enough, the table was filled with dinner.

"Roy," she gasped. "You said 'dinner', not a feast!"

He responded with a wide boyish grin. "Hey, it's your birthday. You can call it whatever you want."

"What." She paused, looking at everyone. "My birthday?"

"Happy birthday to youuu…"

She turned around to face the singing voices of the children. Edward took the lead, holding a big chocolate cake in his hands. His steps were a little wobbly so Madame Mustang followed him closely with watchful eyes. The lighted candles on the cake made his hair shine in an orange glow, and the grin on his face shone brighter. The eldest child brought the cake to her for her to blow the candles before letting Uncle Breda place it on the middle of the table.

Next to come to her was Alphonse who held a significantly smaller mango cake. A single lighted candle was perched on top of the cake, occasionally sending harmless sparks around. "Happy birthday, Mama," Alphonse said when they finally finished singing, holding the cake up to her. "Make a wish!"

She glanced at Roy and found him staring at her with a soft smile on his face. They held each other's gazes for a few moments and Riza could feel warmth spreading across her cheeks. She turned back to Alphonse lest Roy notice her getting flustered.

"What should I wish for, love?" she asked the boy after carefully taking the confection from his hands.

"You can wish for a new toy!" Edward interjected from his perch on Roy's lap, earning a few chuckles from everyone. "I wished for a toy train before and I got it the next day!"

She hummed before blowing on the candle. Everyone cheered and greeted her too. She couldn't believe she missed everyone preparing for this. She should've known something was up when Madame Mustang showed up that morning, or when the boys were just chatting instead of having a meeting like they said they would.

Roy had thoughtfully prepared dishes that didn't aggravate her nausea and she was thankful for that. He even thought to have the Madame bake her her favourite mango cake and the chocolate cake for the rest of the guests. Once more, she caught Roy's gaze from across the table. Instead of looking away, she mouthed, "Thank you."

* * *

The night had wound down, the food finished, the table cleared, the dishware washed and dried, and the fireplace lit. The guests said goodbye one by one until eventually only the family was left. They gathered in front of the fire, trying to escape the chilly weather. The children whipped out their coloring books and crayons while the adults sipped their tea.

"Were you surprised?" Roy asked from beside her, stoking the fire.

"Admittedly," she grumbled but sighed in contentment when Roy's hand reached up and gently massaged her nape. "How did you pull it off?"

He sipped from his cup and winked playfully. "Now, that's a secret." Then he clapped his hands together excitedly. "Boys, why don't you go get Mama's gift?"

"Okey-dokey, sir!"

"Yes, Papa!"

Loud steps thundered upstairs as the children ran to their room to fetch whatever gift they prepared for her.

"Roy, what-"

He shushed her, wrapping an arm around her to keep her from standing. "I know you don't like people giving you things, but the boys worked hard for this."

"But-"

"You know how my biological mother was Xingese?" he interjected, cutting off whatever protest she had. She cocked her head to the side in curiosity to show that she was listening. "Well, she taught me some traditions they had on her side of the family."

She could hear the boys coming down the stairs but remained silent so Roy could continue his story.

"The Xingese are traditional people. They believe in gods and karma and fate. They also believe that gods sometimes visit the mortals in the form of animals." Seemingly from out of nowhere, he produced a square piece of yellow paper and proceeded on the familiar steps of meticulously folding it. "The crane is a particularly special animal to them, believed to live for a thousand years. They are symbols of longevity and good fortune, which are both major things for the Xingese. An ancient legend says that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by the gods." He finished folding the paper crane faster than she remembered him do and he presented it to her with a flourish at the same time Edward and Alphonse returned.

She accepted the small origami and turned to the children. Her eyes widened at what she saw. Edward held a metal pole twice as tall as he was. Attached to the top of the pole were hundreds upon hundreds of multi-colored paper cranes, mostly yellow and white in color. Alphonse struggled to see his mother's reaction from his spot inside the waterfall of origami. Black Hayate was somewhere in the mess, buried in paper birds.

"So, Edward, Alphonse and I folded nine hundred ninety-nine paper cranes now, including the one you're holding," he boasted, gently guiding her to stand. "You have to make the final one before you get your wish."

Riza was speechless and tears unexpectedly gathered in her eyes. This was the first time somebody –or, in this case, some people- made this much effort for her. And during her birthday, too! Sure, folding a paper crane is easy. But a thousand? Now, that would take her _weeks_ if not _months_!

"Oh no, Mama's about to cry!" Roy announced dramatically, his hands over his mouth. "Quick, boys! Smother her with hugs and kisses!"

The boys giggled and were only too eager to comply, jumping into Mama's arms and kissing her face until she too was laughing.

"Papa! Join us!"

* * *

 **A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. For old readers: If you are confused at some things, please know that I had major editing fit and changed a lot of things. This is also one of the reasons why it took me so long to come up with a new chapter.**

 **So, that's why these boys were being so suspicious! If you think Riza and Roy are being too comfortable with the situation, just bear with it. It'll be explained in the next chapters.**

 **Also, I used a bit of Japanese folklore in this one. With Senbazuru (A thousand paper cranes) and stuff. I am not Japanese, nor am I an expert in Japanese mythology. If I got things incorrectly, please forgive me and please send me a message so I can correct things. Thank you!**

 **Don't forget to leave a review!**


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